Tag Archives for air italy.
The Italian government stopped a British Airways flight from Milan to London Heathrow from leaving on Monday, because it offered passengers seat cushions with too much padding.
After the country’s aviation authority performed a surprise inspection on the BA flight at Milan’s Linate airport, they discovered that seats near the overwing exists of the Airbus A320neo had the wrong seat cushions. They were too thick.
This morning I wrote that Air Italy faced an uncertain future – and possible liquidation – after losing 200 million euros in 2019, up from 164 million the year before. The carrier needed more cash, and Qatar Airways which owns 49% of the airline was blocked from taking an additional stsake in the airline by foreign ownership restrictions.
And in fact a decision has been made today to shut down the airline.
Qatar Airways may be looking to buy stakes in 3 more airlines but they appear at risk of losing their investment in Air Italy, as the number two Italian airline is on the brink of bankruptcy. A special shareholders meeting is being held today.
The campaign by U.S. airlines for trade subsidies from the federal government could backfire, because if the U.S. violates its treaty obligations and Europe then sees the treaty as non-absolute, United, Delta, and American could face their own challenges with operating rights in Europe.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
This past Saturday, Air Italy’s flight IG938 from San Francisco to Milan went mechanical. American Airlines had the part Air Italy needed, but they wouldn’t sell it. The scheduled 7:10 p.m. flight didn’t actually depart until early Monday morning,
American says they needed the part themselves, and an airline has to be “an approved carrier and have a partnership with us to borrow parts, and we don’t have a partnership with Air Italy.” In other words precisely because American is in a spat with Air Italy they won’t list the airline as an approved partner, and won’t lend parts.
Air Italy, 49% owned by Qatar Airways, is a partner of British Airways and their mileage currency is Avios.
The airline will sell top tier Gold status for 500 euros (US$558) or Silver status for 200 euros (US$223).
U.S. airlines are lobbing political grenades at Air Italy, which flies from Milan to New York, Miami and now seasonally to Los Angeles and San Francisco (cities with no other non-stop service on the route). Air Italy has a total of 15 aircraft in its fleet, and has already reduced service on the Los Angeles and San Francisco routes, and cancelled Chicago service before it even began.
Air Italy is defiant. They say they plan to launch two new North American routes in 2020, at least one likely just summer seasonal, and they hope to re-instate Los Angeles and San Francisco’s service to year-round status.
American Airlines has seemed to focus more on trying to government to shut down competitors than on improving its own business. They haven’t gotten their operation working well. They’ve been making their domestic product worse – in all cabins.
Unsurprisingly while other airlines make money flying American loses money flying and earns profits only by selling frequent flyer miles.
Air Italy — which is 49% owned by Qatar Airways and has leased aircraft from Qatar — loaned an Airbus A330-200 to Finnair. This was after a loading vehicle at Chicago O’Hare took out a Finnair A330-300.
Finnair of course is a member of the oneworld alliance, and an anti-trust immunized joint venture partner across the Atlantic with American Airlines (along with British Airways and Iberia). And they’ll be using the Air Italy plan until October 31 for flights to Chicago and Miami.
Here is, as they say, ‘the rest of the story’.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
